1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wrist stabilizing devices and, more particularly, to a device which, when employed in making a golf swing, encourages the lower hand gripping the club to not move past extension and into flexion as the hands move into and through the hitting zone.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In golf, the hands play a critical role in controlling the position of the club face as it moves through the hitting zone and contacts the ball. Experts and experienced golfers advise that the hands must be firm, but not so firm as to be "choking" the club. In addition, golfers are often taught that the only pressure points in the hands, for right-handed persons, should be the last three fingers of the left hand and the index finger of the right hand as it wraps or curls around the club in a position similar to that of pulling a trigger. In addition to these pressure points, both wrists need to be in a neutral position such that the hands (not the fingers) are anatomically extended. This "neutral alignment" maximizes the ability to create optimum contact with the ball where the club face is square to the target line.
There are a variety of devices known in the prior art which attach to the hands, wrists, and/or forearms of the user, and which are intended to help train the user to make a more correct golf swing. One such device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,343 to Lemon. Lemon discloses a wrist restraint for golfers and bowlers. When used by a golfer, the restraint is worn on the lead hand, or the left hand of a right-handed golfer. The device includes a wrist band having a pair of elastic loops extending therefrom which are fitted around the user's middle and ring fingers to provide a wrist and hand tensioning device. Lemon also suggests that a second tensioning device may be worn by the golfer on his or her right hand. When worn on the right hand, the loops are stretched across the palm of the hand, such that the tensioning supplied by the elastic loops would urge the hand toward flexion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,198 to Szabo teaches a device to be used by a golfer on his or her trailing hand during the putting stroke to lock the wrist in a slightly flexed position such that the lead wrist will not easily break during the putting stroke.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,077 to Norwood teaches a wrist restraining device which is apparently intended to be worn on the golfer's lead hand. The object is to prevent the wrist from bending backwards during the stroke.
Various other training devices have been developed to be worn on the hands and wrists of tennis players. One such device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,833 to Groveman, et al. Such device includes an elastic wristband to be worn about each wrist with a strap connecting the two bands such that the arms must move substantially in unison. A thong or loop extends from each of the wristbands and circle the respective middle fingers of each hand, such that palm or flexion of each hand is restricted.
Other wrist support devices for tennis players are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4, 183,098 to Knowles, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4, 176,839 to Pinkus.